


Invitations

by wafflelate



Category: Dreaming of Sunshine - Silver Queen
Genre: Friendship, Hospital Arc, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2020-03-26 15:37:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19008751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wafflelate/pseuds/wafflelate
Summary: The invitation is the same; Kakashi is what's changed.





	Invitations

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shializaro](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shializaro/gifts).



> **shializaro — request as a trade for the Kakashi & rainbow dog pic she drew me**
>
>> _I would really appreciate some Kakashi introspection into how Shikako (and his students in general) shaped his life for the better._   
> 
> 
>   
> Set in [early July of Year Two](https://www.deviantart.com/silver-queen/art/Calendar-487510648), before Kino was born. Thanks to tuesday for betaing! 

Kakashi hits the ground hard, so hard a great plume of dry dust rises up around him as he destroys a stretch of grass, and he knows he won't be getting back up. 

That's okay. It's kind of nice to just be done. Kind of nice to just lay there, stretched out and aching. 

Across the training field, Gai dusts his hands off and wanders over. He looks less tired than Kakashi feels — but that gap is slowly closing a little, these days. Gai will always have more stamina than he does, but Kakashi is recovering nicely. 

When Gai reaches him, he reaches down to offer Kakashi a hand, which Kakashi takes automatically. Then Kakashi simply tenses his muscles enough for Gai to be able to pull him upright, otherwise acting like completely dead weight. It doesn't faze Gai — it never does. Gai pulls him up onto his feet in one smooth motion, without pause, without any kind of grimace to his grin. 

Kakashi tries not to admire this too much and unfortunately mostly fails. It's not simply the strength, really ... it's the effortless, thoughtless way it happens. Kakashi always knows that being hauled to his feet like he's feather-light will follow after being thoroughly knocked down by Maito Gai, and over the years he's come to look forward to it while he's laying on the ground with his head spinning. 

"Once more, I've taken the lead," Gai crows when Kakashi is back on his feet, "but it was a good fight!" 

Kakashi makes a noise of agreement, and submits easily to Gai's attentions as Gai brushes the dirt off of him in a poorly-disguised effort to check him for injury. It used to annoy him when he was younger — when he was still raw from losing and losing and losing everyone — but it's good now, the short and sure strokes of Gai's hands beating the dust off of Kakashi's vest. Nice to know Gai isn't afraid, nice to know Gai will still take any excuse he can to get into Kakashi's personal space. 

Kakashi also doesn't mind being behind Gai in their long-running, never-ending competition. It's a sign that things are secure between them, that Gai isn't worried. He knows Kakashi will seek him out to even the score rather than avoiding him. 

"And now, though I would like to continue," Gai goes on, "I have promised to meet my wonderful students for a glorious meal. You would be welcome to join us!" He finishes dusting Kakashi off with a little flourish and a thumbs up signifying that Kakashi is uninjured. Or looking good. Maybe both. 

(Hopefully both, Kakashi lets himself think — but that's probably not a good thought to have right now. Or maybe ever.) 

Kakashi has refused this invitation and ones like it many times. Before it was Gai's students, it was Ebisu and Genma or Kurenai and Asuma. On one very memorable occasion recently it was Anko and Aoba, to which Kakashi had almost said yes simply out of curiosity. Another refusal is on the tip of Kakashi's tongue, a refusal just like every other refusal he's ever given, but before he can quite make his excuses, Kakashi can't help the thought that worms its way to the forefront: why _not?_

Well, okay, there are a lot of reasons why not. But it's Gai, who's invited him to a meal like this with other people Gai likes roughly twice a week for going on ten years. Maito Gai isn't going to _stop_ offering just because Kakashi has never previously said yes. And also — recently — well — 

Obito's eye isn't killing him anymore. Tsunade had put her hands on her hips last week and declared Kakashi officially fit to resume his normal duties. And Kakashi has been a somewhat regular feature at the Nara table for more than a year, which hasn't gone ... _terribly_. Could dinner with Gai's team really be any worse? Is there really any reason _not_ to go anymore? 

"I could," Kakashi says, agreement an awkward weight on his tongue. It feels strange to maneuver around years of refusal, but Kakashi has learned this at least from teaching: very probably nothing will go wrong at dinner, and if it does he can probably sneak out before it becomes his problem. 

Gai pauses, like he thinks there might be more to the sentence, but when Kakashi just nods shortly, clear and brilliant excitement wells up in Gai's expression. "Excellent!" he enthuses, but blessedly doesn't go on about it any more than that. Instead he grabs at Kakashi's hand — like he thinks Kakashi might escape — and begins to drag him off the training ground towards the village proper, already talking a mile a minute about the hole in the wall curry shop he and his students frequent. Not as good as the one in River, he says, but hearty! Perfect for eating with company. 

All three of Gai's students are already at the restaurant when Kakashi and Gai arrive. They're all drinking water, looking scruffy and exhausted from their own training, though Lee is just as engaged and passionate as Gai always is, explaining something to Tenten with gestures that are carefully controlled to be enthusiastic, but not infringe on the personal space of his teammates. Meanwhile, Neji appears at first glance to be ignoring his teammates, staring into a mid-distance, but he offers a short correction of some kind to Lee, who appears to accept the correction without losing pace in whatever it is he's trying to explain to Tenten. 

They're a team, as good as Kakashi's genin, and better than Team Minato had ever been. They light up when they see their sensei and then, almost as one, their eyes slide to Kakashi, who's standing slightly behind Gai and _maybe_ trying to hide a little. 

"Kakashi is joining us for dinner!" Gai says and very unhelpfully pushes Kakashi forward towards the table. It's a booth with seating on three sides, so when Kakashi slides onto the bench first he ends up sitting next to Tenten, with Gai on the other side. 

Tenten is looking at him somewhat uncertainly, a feeling which Kakashi definitely relates to. 

Lee says, "Gai-sensei's friend is always welcome at our dinners, Kakashi-san," in such an earnest voice it's almost physically painful. 

It's not the best dinner Kakashi has ever attended, to be honest. In some ways, it's even more awkward than eating at Shikaku and Yoshino's table, because at least Kakashi and Shikaku have some history in common. Gai's three students are, in their own ways, adorable, but they're the worst kind of strangers: strangers Kakashi has heard a lot about and who he knows have heard a lot about him. 

He sets out to ruin whatever reputation he has with them as thoroughly as a thing can be ruined. The whole time Gai's leg presses against his leg from thigh to calf under the table and Kakashi knows he's right where he should have been all along. 

And it gets better, too: after Kakashi scares the kids off, sending them scurrying out of the restaurant to gossip about him on their way home Gai buys both of them a round of sake, and then another, and then another. Both of them are too professional to get completely trashed when they might be called out at any time, but they get comfortably tipsy and lean against each other in the booth, while Gai is paying, and on their way home. 

"Kakashi," Gai says to him seriously when they're outside his apartment, just before Kakashi can leave him behind with a casual wave. 

Kakashi turns, and finds himself immediately confronted with a very warm Gai leaning against him with his entire body, a little boneless, a hug that's barely a hug. 

"You," Gai says, "are the best dinner companion. Second to none. Memorable and glorious." 

Kakashi pats him on the back. "Well, at least one of those is right," Kakashi says. He's sure Gai's kids will remember their first dinner with him for the rest of their lives. "Your students are ... pretty great." 

It's a lame thing to say, completely useless, but Gai pulls back to look at him like he hung the moon. "They are," Gai says. "They are and so are you, Kakashi." 

And then. 

Gai kisses him. 

It's quick, just the press of Gai's lips against his. An invitation of a different kind than usual, one Gai has never offered before. He beams when he pulls back to look at Kakashi and still hasn't let Kakashi's shoulders go. The palms of his hands are warm even through Kakashi's shirt and his thumbs rub idle circles against Kakashi's shoulders. 

Kakashi doesn't know what to do, so he does nothing. 

"This was a very good night," Gai says, like he's saying goodbye. He releases Kakashi's shoulders slowly. His fingers trail against Kakashi's upper arms, feeling bright and hot against Kakashi's skin but making him shiver. 

Ah. "It doesn't have to be over," Kakashi offers. Because he's not going to repeat his mistakes. Because Gai shouldn't have to invite him twice a week for a decade _again_ before making progress. 

Gai pauses. "It would be unwise to drink more." 

"We could go upstairs." Kakashi leans into Gai's space like Gai had leaned into his, though he only settles one hand on Gai's arm. Just to keep Gai from pulling away any farther. 

"Oh." Gai's arm rotates, twisting under Kakashi's palm like a grapple in miniature until he's slotted his fingers between Kakashi's, linking them together. 

There's nothing more to talk about, not really. Gai leads him upstairs, into Gai's apartment, a situation that is both familiar and new. Everything is electric. Everything is dangerous. Everything is perfect. Kakashi spends the night. In the morning, he invites Gai to breakfast. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you're looking for me on Discord, you can find me at my new server, [Heliocentrism](https://discord.gg/rCtwMQG), which is also where you can find shializaro's excellent drawing for me.


End file.
